[GRASS-dev] G3d library code review and raster lib tile approach

[Glynn Clements]

Soeren Gebbert wrote:

> * Its there a time frame when the new raster tile approach will be
> implemented?

No. It hasn't even been decided that it will be implemented; it's just
a basis for discussion.

> * Are there plans to merge the G3d library and the raster library?

It has been "suggested"; there isn't any consensus, and I'm not sure
that there's even one person who is convinced that it's the right
solution.

> * Can the G3d library be used as backend for tile storage in the
> raster library (setting the z dimension to one)?

Potentially.

Many of the ideas came up before I implemented r.external and
r.external.out. That lead to an alternate possibility, that GRASS
itself wouldn't actually have /any/ particular raster format but just
deal with whatever GDAL supported.

The would require that GDAL had "native" GRASS raster I/O code (i.e. 
not depending upon libgis/libraster). The main issue here is that the
code would probably need to be written from scratch due to licensing
issues: GRASS is GPL, GDAL is LGPL, and trying to track down everyone
who might have a copyright interest in the raster I/O code wouldn't be
practical.

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn at gclements.plus.com>